The Royal Palace of Caserta was the masterpiece of architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who began building it in 1752, by order of Charles III of Bourbon, impressed by the beauty of the Caserta area and eager to emulate the grandeur of the residences of the French dynasties, first and foremost, that of Versailles.
Work on the Royal Palace of Caserta was completed in 1774, under the reign of Ferdinand IV, delivering to the client a fairy-tale complex, made up of the Palace and a large park featuring two sectors: the Italian-style garden and the English-style one. Being one of the largest royal buildings in the world (a whopping 1200 rooms), the Royal Palace of Caserta lends itself to being visited in sections. With limited time, one can, for example, admire only the Palace, accessible by climbing the 116 steps of the imposing grand staircase.
Inside, notable are the furnishings and decorations of the royal apartments; the lavish Throne Room, rich with paintings and gilding; the curious period objects collected in some rooms, including the cradles and toys of the young Bourbons. Remarkable is the room of Joachim Murat, surviving even in the post-Napoleonic era, entirely in Empire style, with mahogany furniture and chairs bearing Murat’s initials. Once inside the immense nave-like atrium, one can also choose to visit only the park of the Royal Palace of Caserta, which covers an area of 120 hectares, arranged along an axis about 3 kilometers long.
